Adjustable slicing knife



Oct. 21, 1958 H. KOPEL ADJUSTABLE sLIcING KNIFE Her/:erf Ko/ INVEN TOR.

United States Patent Office 2,856,688 Patented Oct. 21, 1958 ADJUSTABLE SLICING KNIFE Herbert Koper, Utica, N. Y. Application June s, 1957, serial No. 663,110

2 claims. (c1. en -233) I The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in a manually usable cutting and slicing knife which is expressly designed and therefore suitable to enable a user thereof to slice bread, meat, cheese and the like in uniform slices of predetermined thickness.

f As the preceding general statement of the nature of the invention reveals hand used slicing knives having means whereby the knife blade may be adjusted relative to the handle means are not new. Therefore, it will be evident that the primary object of the instant` endeavor is to provide an adjustable slicing and cutting knife con struction in which the cooperating components are structurally distinct and employed in a novel association and arrangement, whereby to provide an adaptation which is, it is believed, aptly and satisfactorily adapted to better achieve the purposes for which it is intended.

Brieiiy, the invention in a preferred embodiment thereof is characterized by handle means having a smooth surfaced abutment. This abutment functions as a guide and gauge and is adapted to bear slidingly with requisite nicety against the end of the loaf of bread, or some other article, which is to be sliced. A slicing blade is spaced from and is parallel to the abutment. Novel cooperating means, carried conjointly by the blade and handle means, is provided and is such in construction that it serves in a simple and practical manner to adjustably mount the blade on the handle means.

Novelty is also predicated on the above-mentioned handle means which embodies an elongated plate designed and contoured marginally and on its surfaces to provide a handle which is conformingly suitable for gripping with either the right hand or left hand as the case may be. A depending right angularly disposed flat-surfaced flange along one longitudinal edge portion of the plate functions to provide the aforementioned abutment.

In addition to the above the other longitudinal or lengthwise edge of the plate is provided with a longitudinally extending bead. The bead is of a cross-section greater than the thickness of the plate. The median portion of the plate is transversely narrowed or decreased in width, and in conjunction with the correspondingly contoured bead, provides a centrally disposed seat for retentive reception of the users index finger. The seat is located so that it may be selectively usable by both right handed and left handed users.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent from the following description of the details and the accompanying illustrative, but not restrictive drawing.

In the drawing, wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the improved adjustable slicing knife showing, in a general way, the manner in which it is constructed and used.

Fig. 2 is a front or edge elevation of the invention.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view in section and elevation taken approximately on the plane of the line 3--3 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

2 Fig. 4 is a, similar fragmentary sectional and 'eleva'- tional View taken on the vertical line 4'`4 of Fig. 1.

` The handle ,means as a unit is denoted by the numeral 6. This is of one-piece construction and it is light in j weight and may be constructed of aluminum with its surfaces chromium plated or otherwise `finished. As bejfore mentioned this unit is 'characterized by an elongated plate of the plan lconfiguration depicted in Fig. l. The plate is provided along the linearly straight forward edge 8 with a depending smooth surface flange 10. This ange is at right angles to the general plane of th plate and is approximately commensurate in length with the length of the plate as seen in Fig. 2. The iilan'ge serves as a guide, gauge and an abutment. It is adapted in use 4to abut the vend of the loaf of bread or block of cheese 12 in the manner as seen in Fig. l.` Along theV opposite longitudinal edge there is a specially contoured bead 14 of cross section greater than the thickness of the plate, as is evident from Fig. 4. The bead is so shaped thatit cooperates with the central relatively narrow portion 16 of the plate in defining a recess or seat 18 for the index finger of the users hand in the manner illustrated. The portion of the plate to the right of the recess is dishe'd and suitably shaped at 20 to accommodate a thumb of the right hand. The portion to the left is similarly dished and appropriately contoured at 22 to accommodate the thumb of a left handed user. Thus the plate 'may be construed as embodying left hand and right hand conformable grips. The underneath side of the plate (not detailed) may be provided with anti-slipping ribs for the tips of the fingers. At the right hand end and on the underside there is a bored boss 24 which provides a socket member for a stud 26 extending from and made rigid with the laterally directed terminal or end portion 28 of the cutting and slicing knife or blade 30. The saw teeth of the blade are denoted at 32. The stud is fitted removably and adjustably in the socket member provided by the boss 24. A stud 34 is fixed to the opposite end of the blade and extends through a slot 36 in a lug 38 projecting from the left hand end of the plate. The stud also extends through holes 40 provided therefor in a sleeve, the sleeve tting slidingly over the lug. The sleeve is denoted at 42 and at one end it is provided with a reduced neck 44 having a screw-threaded bore for the setscrew 46. The setscrew has a knurled cap 48 which iits adjustably over the neck, all as seen to advantage in Fig. 3.

It will be evident that the knife blade may be adjusted toward and from the abutment in the manner shown, making it possible for the housewife or other household user to utilize the device with certainty and satisfaction.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

l. For practical and reliable use by either right-handed or left-handed persons, an elongated approximately planar plate providing a handle, said plate having a median l portion and end portions, the median portion being narrowed and decreased in width relative to the two end portions and the several portions thus arranged defining individual selectively usable hand-grips, one for the left-handed user and the other for the right-handed user, said plate having one lengthwise edge which is linearly straight and is provided with an integral laterally directed iiat smooth-surface flange defining an abutment, said abutment adapted to engage the end of the loaf and to serve as a blade spacing and thickness guide and gauge, the other lengthwise edge of said plate having a longitudinally extending bead extending from approximately one end of the plate to the other end of the plate, said bead being of a cross-section greater than the thickness of the plate so that portions of the bead project beyond adjacent surface portions of the plate, said bead conforming with the given contour of said other lengthwise edge, and a knife blade having laterally directed end portions ladjustably mounted on the respective end portions' of said plate, said knife blade occupying a positionina plane at right angles to the plane f said v'plate and also disposed in a plane parallel to but spaced ya plane spaced above the top of said plate, the portions fof the bead 4which have positions to the right and left of said decreased median portion providing thrust shoulders for` the index finger of the users hand, and the portion of the bead which immediately bridges the decreased median portion dening a seat for a portion of the index finger, and the surfaces of the top of said plate being dished and shaped to serve selectively as left and right thrust-type thumb rests.

2. A manually usable slicer for bread, meat, cheese and the like comprising a handle embodying an elongated plate having a lateral depending ange providing an abutment which in use is adapted to rest against an end of the loaf of bread or other product being acted on, a knife blade disposed in a plane parallel to the plane of said abutment and having a cutting edge disposed in a plane above the top of the plate, studs fixed to and projecting laterally from the respective end portions of said plate, the bottom of said plate having a fixed socket member adjacent one end of the plate for removable and adjustable reception of one stud, and retaining and clamping means mounted on the other end portion of said plate for cooperative reception and retention of the other stud, said means comprising a lug having a slot for reception of the other stud, a sleeve slidable on said lug having alined stud holes adjustably registering with said slot, said other stud passing through said holes and slot, and a setscrew carried by said sleeve and engaging one end of said lug, said sleeve having a reduced neck with an axial screw-threaded bore through which said setscrew is threaded, and said setscrew having a cap-like finger-grip tting removably and slidingly on and over said neck.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS France Apr. 8, 1953 

